1. Almond flour skews perception about quantity
Get this: A cup of almond flour contains about 90 almonds! I calculated that by dividing 640 calories in a cup of almond flour by 7 calories in an almond. Almond flour disguises the consumption of the nuts.
For example, this ever-popular Almond Flour Pancake recipe from Elana’s Pantry calls for 1 1/2 cups of almond flour and yields about 4 servings (or 2-3 servings, if you have a hearty pancake appetite).
There are about 135 almonds in the entire batch, and 33 almonds per serving (for 4 servings). That is like 3 big handfuls of almonds, eaten at one sitting!
Imagine sitting down and mindfully chewing 33 almonds at one meal. After perhaps a big handful, your body would tell you “Okay. I’m full. That’s enough almonds for right now.” As you may know from experience, your body loses that perception and communication when consuming almond flour.

2. Almond flour is very high in inflammatory PUFAS
About 30% of the fat in almonds is polyunsaturated fatty acids (Omega 6 or PUFAs). Unfortunately, our modern diets tend to overburden our bodies with polyunsaturated fats which leads to numerous health issues.
Here are a few reasons why it is important NOT to go overboard with polyunsaturated fats.
■PUFAS in suppress mitochondrial energy production. In non-chemistry language, PUFAS slow down the metabolism
■PUFAS encourage an inflammatory response in the body, while omega-3s generally suppress inflammation
■PUFAS cause digestive issues by impairing the action of certain digestive enzymes
■PUFAS slow down thyroid function
■PUFAS inhibit detoxification enzymes
■PUFAS deplete antioxidants in the body
■PUFAS inhibit production of progesterone and androgens while activating production of estrogen. This encourages estrogen-dominancy in the body and this contributes to many health issues like weight gain, PMS, hormonal acne and more.
Polyunsaturated fats aren’t inherently evil, only harmful when consumed in excess. The consumption of almond flour is an easy way to overload the body with a detrimental amount of PUFAS.

3. The fats in almond flour aren’t heat stable
Okay, quick chemistry reminder. Saturated fats have single bonds between all the carbon molecules of the fatty acid chain. Monounsaturated fats have one double bond replacing a single bond in the carbon chain. Polyunsaturated have more than one double bond in the carbon chain.
Double bonds are more unstable than single bonds. The more double bonds in a fatty acid, the more unstable it is (polyunsaturated is the least stable, followed by monounsaturated, followed by saturated being the most stable). When the double bonds break, the fatty acid undergoes a process called oxidation.
Processing, heat, light and pressure all cause these double bonds to break. Raw (or soaked and dehydrated) almonds have their polyunsaturated fats intact, and so the only fat issues are those discussed in the previous section. But putting almond flour in a hot environment–like an oven–is going to break some of those double bonds and create oxidized fatty acids.
Why are oxidized fats bad? In a nutshell, oxidized fats = free radicals. Free radicals = cell damage. Of course, we will inevitably have some free radicals in our body. Fortunately, we can consume sources of antioxidants (like fresh fruits and veggies) to combat free radical damage. But if too much oxidized fats, like from large amounts of almond flour, are consumed, our body is depleted of antioxidants and damage to body cells ensues.
Want to know what fats are safe and healthy to heat?

4. Almond flour is high in oxalates
I’ve already written a helpful overview on oxalates. I don’t want to repeat the whole article here, at the risk of making this post even longer.
If you are a bit overwhelmed with almond info, here are the main points about oxalates:
■They are primarily an issue for those with leaky gut , gut dysbiosis, arthritis and behavioral issues like A.D.D
■Almond flour has a ton of oxalates
Read my full oxalate post here.

5. Coconut flour is healthier than almond flour
When it comes to grain free baking, coconut flour is my top choice.
Unlike almond flour, the fat in coconut flour is primarily saturated fat. That means it is safe to heat and it is not toxic to the body. The coconut oil in coconut flour is a veritable superfood, celebrated for weight loss, candida control, metabolism boosting and more. While the fats in almond flour slow metabolism, the fats in coconut flour actually speed up metabolism!
Additionally, a littles goes a long way. Coconut flour seems pricey at first, but it stretches. One batch of my popular Coconut Flour Pancakes with Gelatin use only 1/4 cup of coconut flour for 2 generous portions.
Want to get started with coconut flour? First, here is the brand of coconut flour I recommend at a great price.
Second, remember not to over-do the coconut flour. I limit myself to 2-4 tablespoons of coconut flour per day, mostly because it can be pricy when consumed in abundance. But more importantly, coconut flour is very high in fiber and that is not necessarily a good thing. Please read my post, Is a High Fiber Diet a Health Hazard? for more info.
Third, it is important to start with reliable recipes when using coconut flour.

What about phytic acid?
As you may know, phytic acid is an anti-nutrient that prevents your body from absorbing minerals. Almonds, like all nuts and seeds, have high levels of phytic acid if they aren’t soaked and dehydrated. But in almonds, most of the phytic acid is in the brown skin which is removed before the almonds are processed into flour. So phytic acid is a minor issue when it comes to almond flour. You should, however, consider the health detriments of phytic acid if you are using another nut/seed flour that is not made from soaked and dehydrated nuts.

Almond flour and MODERATION
Almond flour should be used in judicious moderation. Perhaps that means one almond flour treat once every couple of weeks. For example, I use my homemade Sunflour, which has the same issues as almond flour discussed in this post, for baking maybe once a month. Maybe set aside the almond flour just for special occasions. I would also suggest giving your body a break from almond flour for a month, and see if you feel… different. You may feel more energy or have less pain and inflammation. You may not. We’re all unique, so you have to experiment and discover what best fuels your body.

I've not seen that info before, so found it interesting. Thankfully I don't eat a lot of almond flour anyway, it's an occasional treat around here when I decide to bake something.

I'm not sure who your source is on that, but it always makes me cast a somewhat jaundiced eye when someone disses one product and then endorses a particular brand of another - may be nothing in this case, or may be someone with an agenda.

Either way, I think I'll do some more research on it. Sigh. Seems like you just can't eat ANYTHING these days without it being somehow BAD for you!

__________________
It's easy to be miserable. Being happy takes more work. ~~from Ondine, the movie~~

I knew that nuts were high in omega 6 which is not good because our diets are already higher in omega 6 and lower in omega 3, which leaves us with an omega 3 deficit. We are suppose to have a 1:1 ratio of omega 6 & 3.

I also knew about it causing inflammation as well. I found all of this information on a grass fed beef website. The guy has tons of information on all the foods we should and shouldn't eat for good health. Its not just about grass fed meats but he lists lots of foods that are good and bad for our health. He talks about omega 6 and omega 3. If anyone is interested in reading the info and seeing the food list you can google Slankers grass fed meats, it's very informative.

Thank you for posting this. It is food for thought and I tend to think that the almond flour is something to be used in moderation. I don't intend to cut it out completely because it is one of the diet elements that helps me control blood sugar. And elevated blood sugar is just about the greatest threat to my health. My DH and I really enjoy using flax meal in a lot of dishes and that will help us personally.

just from personal experience, I can't eat very much of any baked good containing all almond flour. I have it, I use it, but I consume it in moderation. It is just too filling and oily and if I use it as a 1-1 flour sub, I feel kind of sick.

Last year when I had my first kidney stone ever at age 65, I found that almonds, among other things that are high in oxalic acid, were a prime culprit in kidney stone formation. Chard, most dark leafy greens, many nuts and peanuts, and in fact most foods that I eat for health, have been implicated. Having already cut down on cruciferous vegetables and soy for thyroid problems, I am wondering what's left? very frustrating!!

I read that article...but if you read it at its original page and read the comments....someone refuted quite a few of the "facts" that she posted about almond flour...so I didn't put a whole lot of stock in it.

Everything in moderation is good though as you can develop a sensitivity to anything.

I agree with moderation. This is very informative and I appreciate you posting it Pam.

Whenever I hear or read about some food that is supposed to be bad for us I take it with a grain of salt. I always say "wait 5 years and what was bad will be the next latest, greatest thing for your health!"

I find almond flour irreplaceable for desserts I want to serve to high carb guests. Because of its high calorie count, I have to limit my own consumption. But I do agree with you Tweaker Geek. I remember a friend telling me that she only wanted to live long enough for chocolate to become a health food. She was way ahead of her time.

Yup...I've known about the drawbacks for quite sometime now and still wrestle with using it. I DO agree that the key is certainly moderation, but it is the most neutral tasting and well-tested baking ingredient around.

Regardless, this is a good reminder of why I need to back off a bit...sigh...

I urge everyone to google Slankers grass fed meats. There's a lot of info on there about health and nutrition.

We really are suppose to be eating a Paleolithic diet. He has a list of good and bad foods. I don't believe everything he says just because he says it, I believe it because it makes sense. Early man didn't die from chronic disease. His health from the food he ate was perfect.

It's easy to see by a lot of the doubting comments on here that people don't want to believe that nuts aren't that healthy for us, and I understand that we don't eat for nutrition and health but mostly for enjoyment.

It's interesting that we know that junk food and processed foods aren't healthy but we aren't willing to believe that nuts may not be all that healthy. We are programmed to believe which foods are healthy and which are not but why do we believe one source over another? Why not believe what makes perfect sense? We don't want to believe that the foods we enjoy aren't good for us because then we would feel the pressure to not eat them knowingly.

I know that grass fed meats are healthier than grain, antibiotic and hormone fed meats, it only makes sense. I know that fresh wild caught fish is healthier than grain farm raised fish. I also know that the less starchy vegetables are healthy and that tart fruit and nuts eaten very sparingly are healthy. I know all of this because it makes sense. Livestock is meant to eat grass, fish are meant to eat from the ocean not in controlled farm settings being fed grains. I know that vegetables are healthy because that's the one thing we have been taught that is actually true. I know that fruits and nuts were once only found in small amounts, and that's all we are suppose to eat. I know that grains and oils are man made inventions and were not eaten by early man. I know that grains are not healthy for us because they cause so many illnesses and diseases. People have allergies and health problems from eating them, that's all the proof I need. I know that starchy vegetables cause health problems as well. I know that tart fruit is healthier because it doesn't have as much sugar as other fruits. We all know that starch and sugar sweetened foods aren't healthy that's why we are here on a low carb forum.

It's all well and good to dispute this information, because we don't want to hear that a food we enjoy isn't that healthy for us, but don't use the excuse that it can't be true just because you like eating it. Look at the facts and the studies and then you can say weather or not a food is healthy or not.

I like baking with nuts because its a good low carb option for me but it doesn't mean it's a healthy option. I like baking with low carb flour mix but it doesn't mean it's healthy. I've been programmed to enjoy eating rather than eating for health and nutrition. It's not easy to break long lived habits and traditions but I see people on here trying to eat better for health but resist the facts that a lot of foods they're eating are not really that much healthier than the high carb foods they use to eat.

Sorry to go on and on about this but I have done quite a bit of research on health and nutrition and I don't like to admit that the foods I love aren't that healthy for me either. People think that just because they don't seem to be affected health wise by eating grains because they haven't been diagnosed with a chronic illness are forgetting that celiac and diabetes are just a couple of things that are caused by eating grains but skin afflictions, headaches, inflammation, mental problems like ADD and ADHD, bipolar disease are other types of problems that can be caused by eating grains as well. I always get kind of perturbed when I mention grains and how I can't eat them and someone says, "well just because you can't eat them doesn't mean I can't." They are right of course but just because they can doesn't mean it's not affecting them in other ways they don't even realize.

How do you know grains aren't affecting you? You never really know what is causing that illness or infliction, it very well could be the foods you are eating. You know the old saying "you are what you eat."

I know it seems I've strayed from the subject of nuts, almonds to be exact but I was just trying to show that the Paleolithic diet is the healthiest diet. Nuts and fruit were found and eaten very sparingly by early man, they ate mostly meats, and vegetation and had optimum nutrition. They didn't eat grains, oils, legumes, and starchy vegetables or lots of nuts and fruits.

Quote:

Originally Posted by drjlocarb

Chicken lady's carrot cake, (made with almond flour), has less than 2T of almond flour/ serving.

That would be 2g of PUFA(6 and 3)/serving. Daily recommendation (USDA) of Omega 6 is 12g for women and 17g for men.

Is it really a problem to eat our LC desserts?

It's not really a problem unless your omega 6 intake is higher than your omega 3 intake. The problem is that our diet is usually a lot higher in omega 6 than omega 3. They're supposed to be at a 1:1 ratio for good health. Most oils we consume are high in omega 6, as well as grain fed meat and fish that is mostly consumed. Then add on any grains that are eaten which are high in omega 6, you can see that our diet is already extremely high in omega 6 and low in omega 3. Grass fed meats are high in omega 3's but most people don't eat a lot of grass fed meats because they're not as easy to find in the grocery stores. Certain fish are high in omega 3's but people don't eat as much wild caught fish as they should, a lot of the fish sold in grocery stores are farm raised too.

I would say that's a big problem.

By the way, I wouldn't take too much stalk in what the daily recommendation (FDA) claims, they don't seem to be protecting us much where food health is concerned. Allowing grain, hormone and antibiotic fed meats, GMO'S and processed non food items into our food system doesn't give me much cause to believe anything they say. Just look at the FDA's food pyramid, that alone makes me wonder if anything the FDA claims is true.

I would rather get my facts from studies and from other people's health issues. We can learn a lot from people with diseases, allergies and illnesses. If a food causes a problem with a lot of people I can safely assume its probably not very healthy. Dairy, nuts, grains, eggs, some fruits, there's so many foods that cause allergies that we are not meant to eat.

"I'm allergic to meat" said no one ever. Although there is the exception of the very rare meat allergy caused by a tick bite.

I'm not trying to hurt anyone's feelings or make anyone feel bad. These are things I believe.
I like to learn new things and try to be informed and only wish to share what I've learned with others. I urge everyone to do their own research and come to their own conclusions. I know that a lot of people avoid certain foods that affect them and not everyone is allergic to the same foods but it doesn't mean a food is healthy just because it doesn't cause any allergies or known illness.

Like I said, I bake with almond flour and use other low carb flours knowing that they're not healthy. All that I know doesn't prevent me from eating the wrong foods. I'm human, I have habits, I enjoy eating just like everyone else but it does make me feel better knowing what is healthy for me. I can try to eat better, I have that option.

Good post Gina and I understand what you mean. I'm struggling too and even more so since reading Sugar, Salt, Fat (OMG!), Pandora's Lunchbox, Excitotoxins and Science of Skinny (this book is what got me started). I'm really trying to go process free but it's hard. After reading those books it's easy to see why too.

I use almond flour too but have really cut back recently and not just because of what I posted above. I'm just trying to eat more natural things and even though I love The Chicken Lady's carrot cake and I know it's low-carb is it healthier than eating an organic apple, skin and all, with no salt? I really don't think so.

I'm not saying I'll never make the cake again but it will only be a very special treat from now on. Plus I still have 25lbs of almond flour in the freezer, LOL.

Whenever I hear or read about some food that is supposed to be bad for us I take it with a grain of salt. I always say "wait 5 years and what was bad will be the next latest, greatest thing for your health!"

I'm not sure who your source is on that, but it always makes me cast a somewhat jaundiced eye when someone disses one product and then endorses a particular brand of another - may be nothing in this case, or may be someone with an agenda.

It does come from a site that sells coconut flour-
as in everything, we need to make our own decisions
and come to our own conclusions...

__________________

.

If at first you don't succeed, try doing it by the book...It's not a stall when you're cheating!If you don't want to do something, one excuse is as good as any other. (Yiddish Proverb)~Proud to be a Famous Banta Babe~

I try to take everything in moderation including a lot of studies I read. SO much of it is determined by who funded it and what they wanted to find. Not saying they are ALL like that, and I DO get and read Ted Slanker's newsletter and website.

Paleo is definitely the way our bodies were meant to eat, and through the centuries that we've been on this planet, I don't think that the evolutionary process has caught up with the junk (including grains in that statement) we now eat, for convenience and heck because it TASTES good. So it's no wonder we suffer from a myriad of modern maladies that could be pointed at diet.

Of course, we don't KNOW all that for sure because there really aren't good enough records of what killed the paleo peoples - I'm betting though that most deaths were caused by accident/infection/whatever disease they WERE prone to back then. Just my hunch, because it makes sense to ME. So they probably never GOT old enough to suffer from some of the things that we do these days by virtue of the fact that we live so much longer than they did. Also their eating was nomadic and hunting based, so as you say, they didn't eat a lot of sweet fruits or grains - only those things in season and when they could find them. And I also suspect their eating was more "gorge-based" than ours - when it was plentiful, you ate as much as you could, including whatever meat was hunted, because you didn't KNOW when you might eat again next.

For us, not an issue - every corner has something you can stuff your face with, and we are bombarded constantly by commercials and other prompts to EAT EAT EAT.

Who knows. Just my conjecture.

And this is NOT meant to be argumentative at all because I think you're right on most of that, Gina, and I admire your having spent a great deal of time researching it. I've done quite a bit of that too and have been following Atkins, which while not entirely Paleo is at least on a better track to it than I WAS eating, for going on 10 years now. Never felt better either.

THAT being said - I do now include some grains in my diet, mostly in the form of the ancient ones like quinoa (which truly isn't a grain anyway) or sprouted grains, which I sprout, dehydrate, and grind here at home.

Other issues with eating grass-fed meats relate more to expense than to lack of desire. Most of the fats we eat are coconut oil and animal-based. So we do what we can without it being either prohibitively expensive or consuming more time and energy than I have to throw at it.

I'm fortunate that my mother's side of the family, the women tend to live into their 90s. You can argue that my grandmother and great grandmother (94 and 96 respectively when they died) had a lot less of the questionable choices we have today - and that would be true - but my mother has been overweight most of her life, smoked cigarettes (and still does) since she was age 14, drank like a fish, ate whatever, and generally did not take good care of her own health. Yet here she is at age 82.5 and still hanging in there. Is her health optimal, oh heck no, she has a slew of problems BUT is not on any prescription meds except calcitonin for her crumbling vertebrae and "happy pills" for her age-related depression.

So all that to say - who really KNOWS where all this takes us - we make the best choices we can based on our own education on the subject and certainly posts like Pam and you have in this thread will at least make me sit up and take a little more notice. And I appreciate that! At age 59.5 *I* want to be "the healthiest me I can be" for at least 3 more decades! LOL!!

__________________
It's easy to be miserable. Being happy takes more work. ~~from Ondine, the movie~~

Charski , I agree with all you said. I was just thinking this morning about how short the human life span was in Paleo times . They ate better and didn't live as long as life was pretty dangerous. I think some of us have a better ability than others to digest foods that weren't available then, like milk products. We can go around endlessly reading studies about how this and that have now found to be dangerous or cause disease. I think if I stick with moderation and common sense I will be okay. Some of the new sweeteners have me a little concerned but for now I use erythritol and stevia, almond meal, grass fed beef, organic olive oil, organic eggs and veggies when I can get them, high quality protein powder and peanut butter. We love the recipes for focaccia bread and the cheese rounds and I think they are healthier than wheat bread . We have been conditioned to eat for pleasure so it's natural for us to want sweets and treats. The ones I make with almond meal have to be healthier than the ones I made with wheat flour and we don't have them everyday. I am grateful for any new information on health findings about products I use, take them with a grain of salt and use them in moderation if at all.The article last week on carnitine in red meat feeding gut bacteria that cause heart disease was unsettling, but we had a lovely grass fed beef chile stew last night and enjoyed it very much. In a few weeks we will have something like it again. At age 67 I have seen food fads come and go, have been through the no meat all grains phase, the rice and beans phase, the low fat phase, and now I am happy with what we eat on low carb.I too, would like to be healthy as I age and do the best I can to enjoy life. I'm grateful for all information and will make my own decisions about it's validity and usefulness.
Dee

Oh so true, Pam. What's good today is bad tomorrow and what's bad today is good tomorrow - it's a never-ending battle. I guess what it really comes down to is read, listen and learn from all sources available and then come to your own logical conclusion of what you believe is best for you.

I did read that article, well part of it anyway. I gave up after a bit, when like someone said, I realized she was plugging another product.

I do agree that almond flour is not necessarily the very best choice in flours, for various reasons. But like Ester said, for some it it almost the only option.

I actually have always tried to use almond flour as only one of my flour ingredients (since I can use many of the other options), mainly because it is higher carb than many of the others. Personally her article has not influenced ME personally one way or the other. I take it, as I do many others, with a grain of salt.

That being said, I have just discovered Lupin flour, and I think I will be replacing a lot of the almond flour in my recipes with the Lupin. Lupin also is not for everyone. Those who are allergic to peanuts probably cannot use/eat Lupin. I have never had a problem with peanuts, so I'm getting very excited about lupin. It has only 1 net carb (after fiber deduction) in 1/4 cup! I am happy to sub out at least 1/4 of the almond flour in recipes to save calories & carbs!

I know I've read a LOT about the Omega 3 to Omega 6 ratios, and how we shouldn't get too much Omega 6, but I'm beginning to wonder about that as well, because so many foods that are good for us contain a lot of 6. But I'm not all that knowledgeable on such, and do not claim to be. Just my wanderings lately.

I do know that the "experts" say that nuts are good for us. But they also say to not indulge in "too many". Moderation in all things. And I think most of us here have had a problem with moderation. (Didn't say all, said most!!)

__________________Billie

***********For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life! John 3:16
***My mind not only wanders, sometimes it leaves completely.

I know she pushes coconut flour as a better alternative but she does not own a factory or business that makes or sells it. The article came from her website/blog which details her journey to health.

I'm also experimenting with lupin flour and I completely replaced the almond flour in The Chicken Lady's cornbread with it and pork rind flour and it actually makes a better product. It's tastes more like the southern style (non-sweet) cornbread I was raised on.

I asked the author of Science of Skinny what her opinion was of lupin flour and she responded that it looked like a good product to her (aside from the allergy concerns) and wanted me to keep her informed of my experiences with it. She had never heard of it herself.

Remember...:
1970's..."eggs and all that cholesterol are BAD! Use Egg Beaters...it's much better for you!" So everyone stopped eating whole eggs. Did our health improve?

1970's..."saturated fat, like coconut oil to make popcorn is BAD! Use polyunsaturated fats like C-O-R-N O-I-L because it's much healthier. " So everyone switched to 'healthier oils'. Did our health improve?

1970's..."eating all that red meat raises your cholesterol. You will be much healthier if you choose breads, pastas and cereals!" So everyone stopped eating so much meat and started eating more grains. Did our health improve?

1990's..."fat is the enemy! If you want a treat, eat SnackWells because they're low in fat." So we all reduced our fat intake. Did our health improve?

1990's..."sugar is evil! If you're trying to lose weight, use Splenda...the no calorie sweetener that is made from sugar so it tastes like sugar." So we began consuming more artificial sweeteners. Did our health improve?

1990's..."white flour is horrible for you. Use only whole grains." So we began baking with only whole grains. Did our health improve?

20teen's..."gluten is the cause of weight gain. Eliminate it and you'll lose your 'wheat belly.'So 'going gluten-free' became the new mantra for everyone and everything. Did our health improve?

I've done them all...really. And the last one holds special significance for me personally since I was under the guidance of a physician who was convinced that many of my "ills" were connected to my consumption of gluten. But...after two years of zero consumption (while subbing lots of almond products...better fat you know...), AND eating a whole foods diet, I was not only NOT better, my inflammation levels had doubled, pain had increased and I had gained 12 lbs...sigh...

So what did this lifelong experiment teach me? That a balanced diet, moderate consumption of REAL food and regular physical activity works for ME...regardless of what the so-called experts have to say. They can all be experts on somebody else...I'm O-V-E-R it.

So what did this lifelong experiment teach me? That a balanced diet, moderate consumption of REAL food and regular physical activity works for ME...regardless of what the so-called experts have to say. They can all be experts on somebody else...I'm O-V-E-R it.

I'm with you on this but after reading the books I mentioned above and others I find that it's getting harder and harder to find REAL food anywhere in a conventional grocery store. You even have to be careful at Whole Foods. I can and will grow and preserve what I can this summer but there's a limit to that. I've tried to remove as much processed food from my house that I can but I know there's more that needs to go. No more splenda or diet drinks either.

Everybody should at least read Salt Sugar Fat. It's beyond belief to what extent processed food manufacturers go to to get the consumers to mindlessly eat their products and they have absolutley no regard for human health to get there. The section about fat is particularly interesting, especially when you put the information there in context to the above comments about almond flour, but the whole book is too. Pandora's Lunchbox is also an excellent read. I saw a couple more this weekend on the shelf at Wal-Mart that I want to read but I can't remember the titles so I'll have to check again this weekend and this time write them down.

Also, after arguing on here about grass-finished beef not necessarily being better I've had to eat my words. I've jumped on the bandwagon somewhat myself but I fortunately found a farm in my hometown who sells grass-finished beef from Devon cows and I love it. Plus I can go to the farm and see for myself whats going on and the owners are terrific people. I don't really trust the organic meat at Kroger since I really don't know what that beef went thru and I have my doubts.

This is such a great thread! Thanks for starting it, Pam. I love that we can all have a DISCUSSION on subjects like this without it degrading into name-calling and ugliness.

We've been buying grass-fed/grass-finished Highlander beef, as well as elk, wild boar, and buffalo, from Buffalo Gal online. It's very good quality and delicious. It's pricey but then, what ISN'T, if it's good for you?

I wait til they are having a good sale and stock up. Right now my freezer is FULL of ground meat (all the above types) and I also still have some ribeye steaks - elk (delicious, a bit on the chewy side), buffalo (love it, not as chewy as the elk) and the Highlander beef (my favorite and you can literally cut it with a fork it's so tender!) - we love to grill those steaks and have a big salad with them. Maybe some grilled veggies too.

It's Farmer's Market season now so will be getting some good organic local veggies and may grow a couple things, but the past couple of years our tomatoes haven't done well (not good weather for them here, really) so I think I'll stick with buying those this year.

I'm interested in the lupin flour - may break down and buy some to try.

__________________
It's easy to be miserable. Being happy takes more work. ~~from Ondine, the movie~~

Remember...:
1970's..."eggs and all that cholesterol are BAD! Use Egg Beaters...it's much better for you!" So everyone stopped eating whole eggs. Did our health improve?

1970's..."saturated fat, like coconut oil to make popcorn is BAD! Use polyunsaturated fats like C-O-R-N O-I-L because it's much healthier. " So everyone switched to 'healthier oils'. Did our health improve?

1970's..."eating all that red meat raises your cholesterol. You will be much healthier if you choose breads, pastas and cereals!" So everyone stopped eating so much meat and started eating more grains. Did our health improve?

1990's..."fat is the enemy! If you want a treat, eat SnackWells because they're low in fat." So we all reduced our fat intake. Did our health improve?

1990's..."sugar is evil! If you're trying to lose weight, use Splenda...the no calorie sweetener that is made from sugar so it tastes like sugar." So we began consuming more artificial sweeteners. Did our health improve?

1990's..."white flour is horrible for you. Use only whole grains." So we began baking with only whole grains. Did our health improve?

20teen's..."gluten is the cause of weight gain. Eliminate it and you'll lose your 'wheat belly.'So 'going gluten-free' became the new mantra for everyone and everything. Did our health improve?

I've done them all...really. And the last one holds special significance for me personally since I was under the guidance of a physician who was convinced that many of my "ills" were connected to my consumption of gluten. But...after two years of zero consumption (while subbing lots of almond products...better fat you know...), AND eating a whole foods diet, I was not only NOT better, my inflammation levels had doubled, pain had increased and I had gained 12 lbs...sigh...

So what did this lifelong experiment teach me? That a balanced diet, moderate consumption of REAL food and regular physical activity works for ME...regardless of what the so-called experts have to say. They can all be experts on somebody else...I'm O-V-E-R it.

All of the above were schemes from food companies to promote the sale of their products. It had nothing to do with health but everything to do with getting people to spend their money on products.

We have been hoodwinked by food and drug corporations. Just like cholesterol lowering drugs are a multimillion or trillion profit only to find out that lowering cholesterol does nothing as a preventative in people who have no heart problems. Our bodies are suppose to make and use cholesterol and whatever cholesterol we have in our blood stream is meant to be there. Lipitor and other cholesterol lowering meds are making millions of people sick.
Checkout Statin Nation video, it's a shocker.
Pharmaceutical, health insurance and food companies are making a killing, literally on us.
The studies done on prescription drugs are done by the pharmaceutical and food companies and who do you think gets the drugs pushed through to market. The drug companies.

I urge everyone to do their own research on prescriptions and food because the drug, insurance and food companies are in charge and only care about profits not our health!!

We only need to look at our healthcare and food industry to see that it's all for profit and nothing to do with our health.

Most doctors only prescribe meds because its all they're allowed to do, they have no clue what foods we should be eating, or that we can even be healed by eating the right foods.

I am literally sick to death of how the pharmaceutical and food companies have been able to buy their way through everything. We have no say about what drugs get passed or what foods are advertised and sold.

Look at GMO's, livestock raised on grains, hormones and antibiotics, pesticides, all of these products are for profit, none are for health and nutrition.

We were meant to eat livestock that eats it's meant to eat, grass and foraging. We are meant to eat healthy fats like cold pressed oils and fats from meats.

I also urge people to research omega fatty acids. Our brains and bodies need proper nutrition to function. What do you think happens when it doesn't get the proper nutrition? It doesn't act properly, mental health problems, allergies, sickness and disease happen. I don't wonder what's wrong with this world because I know now that our health is suffering because of the food choices we make directly related to the pharmaceutical and food industry.

Don't pay attention to the man behind the iron curtain, he doesn't have your best interest in mind, he only cares about one thing, profit.

If you want to know what is healthy, look at the Paleolithic diet. The food that was originally put on earth to eat is what we are intended to eat.

Diet: Simple and Basic
The Real Diet of Man is incredibly simple. It does not involve calorie counting, fat measuring, and portion control. There is no such thing as different foods for young people, pregnant women, middle aged people, and old people. There's absolutely no variation for blood type, sex, skin color, hair color, tall people, short people, hard working people, couch potatoes, or one's location. And the diet is the same for healthy people as it is for people burdened with chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, lupus, asthma, allergies, obesity, mental disorders, and on and on.

Anthropologists tell us that about 60% to as much as 85% of early man's food was meat – and it was only grass-fed meat (meat from animals never fed grain). Meat was followed by vegetables (for instance spinach, kale, collards, beet greens, romaine lettuce, etc. followed by broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, etc.). Then, since they were seasonal, at times in very minor amounts there were some nuts and tart fruits (such as squash, berries, small apples, and the tiny wild fruits such as persimmons and wild plums we sometimes find when hiking in the woods). Sure, at times man also lucked out and had some honey. But that was real rare.

As for dairy, well modern man is the only beast on earth that figures he needs milk past weaning. In fact, dairy is one of man's most recent agricultural inventions. So all of this nonsense about drinking milk for strong bones and teeth is mythology. It really does not matter if milk is raw or not. It is flat out unnecessary post weaning. To make matters worse, nearly all diary products available today are from grain-fed cows and goats.

As you can see, the story regarding the proper diet for you, your family members, or any other person on Earth can be told in a few paragraphs. And if people ate only The Real Diet of Man the incidences of chronic disease would probably plunge 90% or more. That would devastate the medical community, the drug companies, health insurers, and marketers of fad diet books, supplements, vitamins, and exercise machines. The Real Diet of Man is so simple the caveman always got it right and he never even thought about it.

Off my soap box now. All this info makes perfect sense to me. I don't follow it, I'm still trying to unlearn all the bogus information fed to me my whole life by the pharmaceutical and food industry. I hope to some day learn to like and eat the foods I'm meant to eat. The food industry has made it rather difficult by placing grain, antibiotic and hormone fed meats in my grocery store, GMO's in my produce isles, commercials filled with junk food and false advertising, FDA promoting whole grains. no wonder people have no clue what foods are healthy. I would just advise people to make changes slowly. Trying to go everything at once is way too overwhelming and only sets people up to fail. I love nuts, cakes, cookies and processed foods are so conveinient.

Little by little we can make changes and make what food has come to be as pleasure into what it was meant to be, nutritious.

I didn't start getting sick from food until I was on my own. It took me years to figure out I did not get sick when I lived on a farm. Then the real world. I'm allergic to everything. But those things are GMO"S and anitbiotics, hormones.

There are so many children that are allergic to what man has done to the food.

I'm just now teaching my sister about things she should not eat.
Right now they are getting crazy about milk and the farmers are in bad shape because of all the alternate milks.
I LOVE ALMOND AND COCONUT MILK